When my pal and I initially bought our loft in Springtimefield, MO, it was already outfitted with a boiler boiler and radiant heated flooring, and the boiler heats up water and sends it through a system of pipes concealed beneath the floors.
The equipment takes up no living space and makes no noise, it works by radiating heat into the air.
It also warms any objects that touch the floor. These objects, such as the couch, chairs and tea tables further radiate heat, but while the heat originates near the floor, the temperature from floor to ceiling doesn’t vary more than a couple of degrees from the control equipment setting! Radiant heating doesn’t introduce dust or other contaminants into the living space or cause problems with insufficient humidity, and one of the biggest benefits of radiant flooring is the ability to set up independent zones. We’re able to customize the temperature setting in each room according to the demands of the space and preferences. One of the only setbacks of a boiler and radiant floors is the lack of a cooling option. The former owners of the loft got by with window air conditioner systems. With Summer temperatures in Springtimefield properly climbing into the mid to high eighties and bringing high humidity, I wasn’t gratified with the portable units. I didn’t like giving up the view from the windows or the security risk. Installing central air conditioner wasn’t feasible. Implementing ductwork would have been an high-priced and invasive eveningmare. Instead, I invested into a ductless mini split system, however my pal and I now have a single outdoor compressor linked to air handlers mounted on the walls of each room! Just like with our boiler, my pal and I appreciate the advantages of zoned cooling.